In the field of automotive applications and automotive circuitry, standard pn diodes are used for rectifying a voltage generated by an electric generator. Due to this rectification, power losses take place. The power losses are given by the product of the forward voltage and the average current generated by the electric generator. Due to the largely increased need of electrical current, the electric generator is one of the greatest source of power losses in a car. In order to reduce these losses, efficient diodes, so-called high efficiency diodes are being searched for. One possibility of reducing the power losses is by reducing the forward voltage.
A further demand to be met by generator diodes is their breakdown voltage in a case of a load dump. In order to protect electric components in the car, the diodes have to dissipate the entire energy generated by the electric generator in a certain voltage window.
A constraint while reducing the forward current are the demands with regard to the leakage current since the battery must not be discharged by the diode.